Unitary spray nozzle and filter assembly



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United States Patent: `O

UNITARY SPRAY NOZZLE AND FILTER ASSEMBLY Eugene O. Olson, Des Moines, Iowa, assigner to Delavan Manufacturing Company, West Des Moines, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application February 14, 1955, Serial No. 487,902

2 Claims. (Cl. 299-120) This invention relates to a unitary spray nozzle and filter assembly for spraying liquids in atomized form. The unit consists of a housing having an orifice in one end thereof and a generally cylindrical iilter member concentric with the oriiice disposed therein. The lter member is integral with the nozzle housing. Liquid flowing through the nozzle enters the housing axially, moves radially outwardly through the wall of the ilter, which removes any solid particles, and then flows axially again to the discharge orifice.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an integral spray nozzle and lter unit having the filter locked in to prevent contamination and tampering.

Another object is to provide a spray nozzle with a built-in cylindrical tilter having walls made from liquidpermeable material, such as porous metal or screen wire capable of straining out solid materials, and through which the liquid flows radially as it advances through the nozzle toward the discharge orice.

Another object is to provide a spray nozzle with a built-in lter of the disc type, the discs being laterally spaced a predetermined distance to filter out solid foreign matter in the liquid.

Another object is to provide an inexpensive compact construction for aV unitary combination filter and spray nozzle.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a transverse cross-sectional view of the unitary spray nozzle and filter of the invention taken along the line 1--1 of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is an axial cross-sectional view taken along the line 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is an axial cross-sectional view similar to Figure 2 showing a diierent construction for the filter member of the assembly; and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 illustrating still another modification of the lter member.

Referring now to Figures l and 2, showing a preferred form of the invention, the housing is generally cylindrical in shape having a central axial bore 12 terminating in an orifice 14 at the discharge end. For convenience in manufacture, the orifice 14 is contained in a separate orice piece 16 adapted to slide into the bore 12 from the right or inlet end of the housing. It will be understood, however, that the orice piece may be formed integrally with the housing 10. The discharge end of the bore 12 is of reduced diameter as indicated at 13 and terminates in an inwardly extending circumferential flange 18. Flange 18 cooperates with a complementary shoulder 21 formed in the outer face of the orifice piece i6 to secure the orifice piece 16 within the housing. It will be noted that the inner face of the orifice piece has a conical opening therein which terminates in the discharge orifice 14.

To direct the ow of the liquid through the orifice, a distributor plug or head 22 having a frusto-conical nose `sembly to form a composite unitary structure.

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is disposed within the opening 20. The slope of the nose of the plug 22 corresponds with the slope of the opening 20. A plurality of angularly-disposed grooves 24 are provided in the surface of the nose to permit owpast the plug to the orice and for simultaneously imparting vortical iiow to the liquid being forced through the nozzle. The plug 22 has a boss 26 projecting from the opposite face which tits into a spacer ring 28 for supporting the upstream end of the plug within the housing 10. The shoulder 25 adjacent boss 26 is in pressure sealing Contact with ring 28, as explained hereinbelow.

The filter member of the assembly of Figure 2 consists of a multiplicity of axially aligned annular discs 30 spaced from each other by a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced radial ribs 31. The distance between the discs as determined by ribs 31 is small enough to iilter out any objectionable solid foreign material in the liquid passing therethrough. The assembled spaced annular discs act just like a cylinder with porous side walls. The discs 3d are mounted on a split rivet 32 to permit them to be assembled as a unit, but may be inserted within the housing without the aid of the rivet if desired. The outside diameter of the discs is slightly smaller than the bore 12 to permit the liquid to iiow axially toward the orifice after passing between the' discs. The disc lter construction is a commercial development available on the market and comprises no part of my invention.

A retainer ring 34 serves to confine the discs within the housing 10. Ring 34 has an inner bevelled ange 3S for streamlining the flow of liquid into the axial opening 33 through the annular discs 31'). The ring 34 is locked in place by any suitable means, as for example, by peening over the end of the housing it) to form an inwardly extending flange 36. The locking means is preferably one that cannot be easily removed so that the filter cannot be tampered with. The flange 36 exerts an axial force against the internal members of the as- Thus, the plug 22 and the spacer ring 23 are in substantially leaktight end-sealing engagement where the outer face vof the ring 23 bears against the shoulder 25 of the plug 22. Similarly, the rst and last rings of the ilter assembly are in end-sealing engagement with the spacer ring 28 and the retainer ring 34, respectively. By assembling the members in end-sealing engagement, the liquid must ow through the wall of the filter.

The housing 10 has external threads 1l at the inlet end thereof and a hexagonal wrench flange 15 to facilitate making connection to the line (not shown) through which the liquid will ow into the nozzle.

In operation, the liquid Hows from the supply line into the inlet end 40 of the nozzle tilter assembly and, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 2, continues to flow radially outward between the discs 3i) and into the space between the circumference of the discs and the bore 12. The ilow from this point on is axial through the grooves 24 of the plug 22 and out through the orifice 14 in the form of nely subdivided droplets.

Figure 3 shows a modication of the unit illustrated in Figures l and 2 in which the filter member is of a a diiferent construction. The parts which correspond to those shown in Figure 2 are identied by the same numerals. Spacer ring 28 and retainer ring 34 have been eliminated completely in the construction shown in Figure 3. The lilter in this unit consists of a tapered hollow cylinder 59 made from porous material, such as sintered bronze, porous stainless steel, a liquid-permeable ceramic, or the like. The pores are sufficiently small to strain out solid particles but suiciently large to permit the liquid to ow freely therethrough. The wall thickness of the cylinder is suicient to provide eihcientv iiltering and suticient strength for the purpose intended. The downstream end of the cylinder. S is adapted toslide over. boss 26 and carries a small projection 52 which4 seals against the shoulder 25 of the plug 22. This seal should be substantially leaktight so that all the liquid will ow through the lter. The larger diameterV upstream end of the tapered cylinder 50 just its within the bore 12. The flange 36, formed by peening over the end of the vhousing it?, bears directly againstjthe end of the cylinder to lock the cylinder and the plug 22'securely within the housing.

Another modiiication of the invention is shown inrFigure 4. Here the lter member consists of a hollow cylin.

der 60 made from solid (non-porous) materialhaving circumferentially spaced openings 62 extending through the wall thereof to permit radial flow of the liquid. The downstream end of the cylinder 60 is supported by boss 26 of the plug 22 and is in end-sealing engagement with the shoulder 25. The upstream end is supported by the boss 72 of retainer ring`70, which is adapted to tit closely Within the end of the bore 12. The ring 70 has a circumferential recess 74 and the cylinder 60 has a wide i'lange 58 containing a similar circumferential recess 61, which recesses cooperate to hold a cylindrical ltervscreen 76 in spaced relation with the wall of the cylinder 60.

The ring 70 is separate from the cylinder for the purpose of assembling the screen. As in the construction shown in Figures 2 and 3, the locking means for retaining the filter cylinder within the housing is provided by peening over the end of the housing to form ange 36. Of course, other suitable means may be used.

The materials from which the nozzle is made are preferablymetals chemically resistant to the liquid being forced therethrough. Changes in the construction of my integral spray-filter assembly and in the materials from which the parts are made will be obvious to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention. The embodiments shown anddescribed herein are intended to illustrate the invention and not to limit it other than as necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters yPatent of the United States is:

1. A spray nozzle for liquids including in combination -a cylindrical housing externally threaded at the liquid inlet end and having an axial bore therein terminating in a conically-shaped outlet end having a central dis-- charge orifice; a distributor plug having a frusto-conical nose, with grooves in the surface thereof, disposed within said outlet and adapted to-directuid ow through said orifice; a generally cylindrical-shaped filter member ofl smaller diameter than said bore having. a central axial opening and a liquid-permeable wall the end of which facing the nozzle outletl is sealed againstflow there-VV around; and a retainer ring bearingV against Vthelter member at the inlet end, said housingbeing; turuedradially inwardly over said ring for locking said ring, said lter member and said distributor plug Within said' housing.

2. A spray nozzle; for liquids including in combination a cylindrical housing externally threaded at the yliquid inlet end and having an axial bore therein terminating in a conically-shaped outlet end havingy a central discharge orice; a distributor plug havinga frusta-conical nose, with grooves in the surface thereof, disposed within' saidA outlet end and. adapted toy direct uid ow through p said orice; a filter member consisting of a multiplicity,-

of, axially aligned annular discs adapted to permit radial uid flow therebetween;` a spacer ring in end-sealing engagement with said plug and the iirst of said discs;l a retainer ring in the end of said housing bearing `against the last of said discs, the inlet end of said housing being peened over said retainer ring to lock said plug, said spacer ring, said ilter member, andv said .retainer ring within the housing.

References Cited in the le ofk this patentV UNITED STATES PATENTS Francev Nov. 15, 1950 

